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Executive and Legislative documents laid before the General Assembly of North-Carolina [1871; 1872]

2 Document No. t>. [Session
'There arc, liowever, many honest and intelhgent men, m'Iio are
opposed to supporting free schools bj taxation on the ground,
that it is agrarian in tendency, and wrong in principle. They
are, therefore, opposed not onl}'- to the present system, but to
any that could be devised upon the basis of taxation. For this
reason, I propose to consider here a few of the arguments in
lavor of the system of free schools, and to answer objections
urged against it.
The character of a State depends upon the individuals who
compose it. The idea of a great and prosperous State can be
predicated only upon the idea of an honest, intelligent, and en-lightened
people. We are so much the creatures of outward
influences, so formed and moulded by the education, which we
receive, that if we knew what would be done for education in
the State, during the next half century, we could predict what
the State itself would become at the end of that time.
It education is to be fostered ; if a wise and efficient system
of Public Instruction, is to be built up and maintained ; so that
the moral and intellectual powers of the children and youth of
the State, may be developed and educated ; then we may pre-dict,
that the State will become great and prosperous, that it
will be composed of intelligent, virtuous, educated men and
women.
If, however, education is to be neglected, except so far as it
may be fostered and sustained by individual enterprise, then,
we can look forward to no such cheering prospect. Instead of
an educated, industrious, thrifty population, proud of their
State, proud of their educational Institutions, we could foresee
a large and unsightly element of ignorance, pauperism, and
crime. It is admitted, and not denied, that education is a
vital controlling element, in the civilization and progress of
the age in which we live. It cannot be neglected without
disaster to the nearest and dearest public and private interests.
It will not be safe to leave so vital a public interest to private
enterprise. This, it is true, has accomplished, and may yet
accomplish a great work in education. But, it is uncertain and

2 Document No. t>. [Session
'There arc, liowever, many honest and intelhgent men, m'Iio are
opposed to supporting free schools bj taxation on the ground,
that it is agrarian in tendency, and wrong in principle. They
are, therefore, opposed not onl}'- to the present system, but to
any that could be devised upon the basis of taxation. For this
reason, I propose to consider here a few of the arguments in
lavor of the system of free schools, and to answer objections
urged against it.
The character of a State depends upon the individuals who
compose it. The idea of a great and prosperous State can be
predicated only upon the idea of an honest, intelligent, and en-lightened
people. We are so much the creatures of outward
influences, so formed and moulded by the education, which we
receive, that if we knew what would be done for education in
the State, during the next half century, we could predict what
the State itself would become at the end of that time.
It education is to be fostered ; if a wise and efficient system
of Public Instruction, is to be built up and maintained ; so that
the moral and intellectual powers of the children and youth of
the State, may be developed and educated ; then we may pre-dict,
that the State will become great and prosperous, that it
will be composed of intelligent, virtuous, educated men and
women.
If, however, education is to be neglected, except so far as it
may be fostered and sustained by individual enterprise, then,
we can look forward to no such cheering prospect. Instead of
an educated, industrious, thrifty population, proud of their
State, proud of their educational Institutions, we could foresee
a large and unsightly element of ignorance, pauperism, and
crime. It is admitted, and not denied, that education is a
vital controlling element, in the civilization and progress of
the age in which we live. It cannot be neglected without
disaster to the nearest and dearest public and private interests.
It will not be safe to leave so vital a public interest to private
enterprise. This, it is true, has accomplished, and may yet
accomplish a great work in education. But, it is uncertain and